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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28754493">Little Book</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mazeem/pseuds/TheGreatLibraryFangirl'>TheGreatLibraryFangirl (Mazeem)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Gaps in Canon [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Great Library Series - Rachel Caine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Canon Compliant, Canon Era, Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 07:27:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,139</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28754493</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mazeem/pseuds/TheGreatLibraryFangirl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Jess had told Khalila and Dario about Thomas, it had occurred to him almost immediately that it might be useful to show them the terrible little book he’d discovered, but he’d shied away from the idea.  </p><p>It was bad enough that he’d read it. Unbearable to remember Wolfe leafing through it, blank-faced. Better to spare the others, if he could.  </p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jess Brightwell &amp; Glain Wathen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Gaps in Canon [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1318670</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Little Book</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is an old idea that I'm mainly posting to stop myself posting something that's definitely not ready yet lol. </p><p>Canon gap fill - Khalila and Dario never get an on-page reveal about the printing press and exactly what's happening to Thomas/happened to Wolfe, thought I'd see what I could do. </p><p>Note: the timeline here doesn't work exactly with what's in Paper and Fire. Maybe I'll fix it one day? Consider it  a "What If?" for now. </p><p>Also Jess and Glain are the best.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jess and Glain bid farewell to Khalila and Dario from their usual cafe, then Glain gave Jess a dark, significant look over her shoulder and rather than head off to continue his own research as he'd planned, he fell in step beside her. </p><p>The sun was even hotter than usual that afternoon. Glain’s legs were longer than his. Somehow, six months of High Garda training hadn't made the combination of those things any easier to cope with. </p><p><em>Was this a test?</em> Jess thought, as they sped on in grim silence. </p><p>“Slow down, for heaven’s sake,” he complained at last. Glain gave him an unimpressed look, but slowed her pace a fraction. She’d caught the sun a little on the top of her left ear, Jess noticed.  </p><p>“I think you should show Khalila and Dario that guard's book you’ve got.” </p><p>Jess nearly tripped over his own feet, and stopped dead to stare at her.  </p><p>Her unimpressed look grew immeasurably fiercer. “Walk, Jess, don’t gape. There’s far less chance of being eavesdropped on if we keep moving.” She was right, of course. He just hadn’t expected anything like that from Glain. </p><p>When Jess had told Khalila and Dario about Thomas, it had occurred to him almost immediately that it might be useful to show them the terrible little book he’d discovered, but he’d shied away from the idea.  </p><p>It was bad enough that he’d read it. Unbearable to remember Wolfe leafing through it, blank-faced. Better to spare the others, if he could.  </p><p>“Why?” he asked, after he’d forced his quivering legs to settle back into a regular rhythm.  </p><p>“According to Dario, Khalila’s started work on collating guard shift patterns. Your book has all those sorts of details, doesn’t it? </p><p>“Don’t call it my book,” Jess snapped. A chill rolled over him, and the blazing sun stopped feeling like quite such a hardship. </p><p>Glain scoffed. “The book you smuggled illegally. Is that better for your delicate sensibilities?” </p><p>“How the hell are you speaking to Dario?” It was a deliberate subject change away from his flash of vulnerability, but it was also a question that he’d been turning over in his head since Glain had first revealed Dario had talked to her about the Black Archives. “I told him to only communicate with me through Khalila, and for her to only send word through paper.” </p><p>“When have you ever known Dario do anything you tell him to?” </p><p>Jess’ entire body went cold and hollow with terror; was Dario foolhardy enough to communicate through the Codex – or, hell, even a Blank? Was he traipsing to Glain’s quarters thinking he was being surreptitious? They were sunk if he was.  </p><p>“He’s going to get us all killed.” His voice seemed to be coming from a little way away. He had a lot of material for his imagination these days. Lots of colourful nightmares about exactly what they might expect if they were detained at the Artifex’s pleasure.  </p><p>“No, he’s not.” Glain took another step before chuckling darkly. “Well, he might. You’re right; if anyone’s a risk, he is. But he’s not lacking subterfuge, not this time.” </p><p>“So, again, how are you speaking to him?” That came out more sharply than he would have dared normally.  Glain left him hanging for a few more steps. </p><p>Jess had no idea where they were heading, and had barely paid enough attention to their surroundings to know where they were.  </p><p>“As you would know if you didn’t make such an effort to come across as an antisocial reserved failed-Scholar dickhead, Dario has, for pretty much the entire time since we were handed our assignments, enjoyed frequenting the Hive.” </p><p>The “failed Scholar” jab stung more than he would have liked. He took a breath to push it aside.  </p><p>“I’ve been to the Hive.” It was a pathetic riposte and they both knew it. The busy, smoky atmosphere held little appeal when he didn’t dare let himself drink for fear of loosening his tongue, and the few times he had let his squadmates drag him there of a night, he’d left long before midnight.  </p><p>“He’s there quite a lot,” Glain said, continuing as if Jess hadn’t spoken. “He buys lots of rounds and loses lots of dice games, so he’s tolerated despite still being an arrogant little fuck.”  </p><p>Jess gritted his teeth. “So he attracts attention and no doubt drinks himself past good sense. Sounds helpful.” </p><p>“Would you shut up for thirty seconds?” She sounded more exasperated than angry. </p><p>He shut up obediently, and tried to ride out the adrenalin still fizzing in his veins. They strode along a street lined with shops. The awnings provided welcome patches of shade. </p><p>“I’ve kept my distance from him. People know we shared a postulant class, and I get some sympathy for that. I’ve kept an eye open to make sure he doesn’t do anything outrageously stupid, for Khalila’s sake. But occasionally we’ve exchanged words. Including what I told you the other night.” </p><p>“And?” Jess demanded, when she paused.  </p><p>“Well, like I said, he’s been thinking about Thomas a lot. I thought he was drunk, at first. Kept trying to tell him to shut up. Turns out that he’s so good at faking being drunk that I’ve been reassessing every single time I’ve seen him in there.” </p><p>Jess turned this over in his mind for a little while. “Playing the long game to get to us?” </p><p>Glain shrugged, and swung round an awning pole obstructing her path. “Did he plan it from the start, or did he come up with the idea later on? Who knows?” She swung back and knocked her shoulder heavily into Jess' chest. “So that’s your paranoia satisfied. That’s how I know what Khalila’s doing. You should give her the book.” </p><p>Jess winced, at both the physical blow and her words. “I’ll collate the guard times and send her those.” </p><p>Glain scoffed again. “Come on, Jess. You sat through her twenty-minute rant about the importance of studying from primary sources last year. You don’t want a repeat of that.” </p><p>“I don’t want her reading the entries.” Jess ran his hand through his sweaty hair. “She shouldn’t have to have that in her head.” </p><p>“Oh dear, oh dear, you’re adding the ‘I don’t need protecting’ rant and the ‘collaboration yields the best quality research’ rant to the tally. This’ll be fun.” </p><p>Glain’s mocking tone made Jess’ temper finally snap. </p><p>“Nothing about this is fun, Glain. Just … shut up, all right? I’ll send her the info she needs.” </p><p>He spun on his heel and headed off in a completely different direction. It took him nearly half an hour to find his way back to his room, where he slept straight through dinner. More missed ‘bonding time’ with the rest of the recruits. Never mind. He’d made his bed there, now. </p><p>A failed Scholar.</p>
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